Annan in Kenya to Mediate in Crisis

Nairobi, Kenya, Jan 23nd. (Financial Times) - Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary-general, has arrived in Nairobi to try to reinvigorate the international community’s attempts to reconcile the two sides in Kenya’s political crisis. President Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga, leader of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement, have not met since a disputed election on December 27 that has triggered widespread bloodshed and crippled parts of east Africa’s biggest economy. Mr Annan’s first challenge will be convincing the two men to begin a face-to-face dialogue, but their public pronouncements indicate the gap between the two remains large.

Mr Kibaki insists he was elected legitimately and has rebuffed attempts at international mediation: his allies say Mr Annan is in Nairobi to “facilitate” not mediate. ODM has called for the formation of an interim government to oversee a rerun of the election, or the creation of a coalition government in which the powers of the president are reduced and the opposition has full control over certain ministries. Diplomats say both men have been heavily influenced by hardliners in their camps who do not want to see dialogue or have set unrealistic pre-conditions. Steven Smith, vice-chairman of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance who met both men last week, said: “People may be taking a breath this week and reconsidering what their position might be … There are things going on behind the scenes that indicate there is flexibility.” But Macharia Gaitho, a columnist with the Daily Nation, said in an article on Tuesday: “Short of getting them both in chokeholds and banging their heads together, Mr Annan has very little leverage on either president Kibaki and Mr Odinga or their respective entourages of myopic warmongers and sycophants.”

While most of Kenya is peaceful, Mr Annan is due to arrive in a bad tempered atmosphere. Michael Ranneberger, US ambassador to Kenya, on Tuesday described as “scurrilous propaganda” advertisements placed by the government that accused him and others of inciting violence by questioning the election result. Adam Wood, the British high commissioner in Nairobi, was summoned by the foreign minister on Monday to explain why a deputy foreign minister told parliament last week that the UK government had not recognised the Kibaki government. Over 600 people have died in clashes between police and opposition supporters and ethnic violence sparked by the election. More than 200,000 have been forced from their homes.
By Barney Jopson in Nairobi
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